After using with the single-button mouse for a almost a month, I've
switched to the Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer. I've concluded
that the single-button mouse is obsolete, and it is just arrogance and
stubbornness that cause Apple to stick with it.

I've used the Microsoft mice on Windows machines for a while. Logitech
and Kensington have some acceptable models, but the various Microsoft
mouse products always feel best in my hand.

I initially looked at the Microsoft Bluetooth mouse, but it was $80 and
it wasn't clear whether it would work with my iMac's built-in Bluetooth
transceiver. I found the Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer marked down to
$30, so I snapped it up.

I have immediately noticed a difference in how easy the Mac is to use.
This is not simply a matter of familiarity with a two-button mouse. With
the new Macs' large screens and increasingly complex user interfaces,
selecting menu items from the pull-down menu at the top of the screen or
Control-clicking something is much more cumbersome than simply
right-clicking something. Similarly, it is much easier to scroll with a
wheel than it is to move the mouse all the way over to the scroll
arrows.

The IntelliMouse control panel allows a wider range of mouse tracking
speeds. I find Apple's mouse to be too slow, even at the highest
setting. Neither Microsoft nor Apple provides good acceleration
behavior, allowing fine control when the mouse is moving slowly but also
allowing quick movements across the screen. This was once a feature that
made the Mac more usable than Windows, but Apple forgot to include it in
Mac OS X.

Apple once had the best mouse for any platform. This is no longer true.
My Christmas wish is that Apple will develop a two-button scroll-wheel
Bluetooth mouse. Until that happens, Microsoft will keep yet another
foothold on my Mac.